The present invention relates to a galvanic cell, also referred to as a battery in the following, which is particularly suitable for use in electromedical implants such as pacemakers, defibrillators and the like.
Special implants of this type place high demands on a battery, since the power supply of the implant is typically only provided by the battery. If the battery is exhausted or also in case of a technical problem with the battery, the entire implant must typically be replaced. This typically requires surgery and a hospital stay. Therefore, high demands are placed both on the energy density of the galvanic cell and also on its reliability.
Typically, hermetically sealed galvanic cells of high energy and power density are used as batteries for implants such as pacemakers or defibrillators. Galvanic cells of this type are especially suitable for use in implantable medical devices. Corresponding batteries are, for example, described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,587,258 and DE 44 38 784. The manifold possibilities for implementing a corresponding battery result, for example, from the publication of Boone B. Owens (editor) “Batteries for Implantable Biomedical Devices” Plenum Press, New York and London, 1986 and from D. Linden, T. B. Redy “Handbook of Batteries” McGraw-Hill Professional Publishing, New York 2001.
Known batteries have a housing which is typically first open and is hermetically sealed after completion of the battery, of which, for example, one housing part may first be implemented as a vessel having an initially open front side, while the other housing part is a closure part which finally hermetically seals the vessel-like housing part on its initially open front side.
Two types of electrodes are positioned in such a housing, namely anodes and cathodes, which are each formed by planar material and are layered into a stack in one embodiment variation. The first type of electrode is frequently electrically connected to an electrically conductive housing part of the battery, while the second type of electrode is electrically connected to an electrically conductive contact which is electrically insulated from the remaining housing. This contact is frequently a component of a housing bushing, which may also be a filter bushing. An image of a corresponding battery known from the related art is founding FIG. 1.
The present invention is based on the aspect of providing a battery optimized in regard to energy density and reliability, which is also to be produced as favorably as possible.